|
|
Saturday, March 27th, 2004
| |
8:05 pm
|
I’m not sure about the etiquette of posting a response to another person’s LJ on one’s own. I’m doing so because this is very long, and it is much more my issue than Amanda’s, even though her remarks inspired it and I quote them below. I hope that is okay.
What I don't think anyone has the right to do is forcibly redefine a category or common usage for their personal satisfaction or justification. I don't think they have a right to demand that I or anyone else must say their union is a quote-unquote marriage, or that their partner is a quote-unquote wife or husband.
This sounds as if those two sentences are intended to say the same thing, but actually, they don’t. The second one is indisputable, IMO. No one has a right to tell another person what to say. If you don’t think so-and-so’s “marriage” is worthy of the term, by all means, don’t call it that. (By this I mean in your personal usage, not in legal terminology. I already gave my explanation of why the legal realm is different here.)
( The first sentence, however, suggests . . . ) ( But what really bothers me is . . . )
Despite its strange and varied history, “marriage” is for me a term fraught with beautiful and holy meanings. To me, marriage is a promise to love, respect, and nurture one another. It is a demanding, joy-filled discipline, and one of the most difficult and rewarding commitments one can make. When I enter into a relationship like that with the intention and hope that it last for as long as we both shall live, I will call it a marriage regardless of whether it is with a man or a woman. Anyone else can call it what they choose; but I hope that all my friends will recognize its beauty and honor it with that name.
current mood:  hoping...
|
|
(2 comments | comment on this)
|
| Wednesday, March 24th, 2004
| |
9:48 pm - Marriage
|
|
|
|
|
|
![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small}
happy_potterer's journal
earnest